Four-year-old New Zealand-bred mare Norwegian Bliss (NZ) (El Roca) remains unbeaten after notching her sixth victory when successful in the final event on the standalone Hawkesbury card on Saturday, which took the place of the usual Sydney metropolitan meeting.
The daughter of El Roca has been perfectly handled by trainer Nathan Doyle, who received the mare as a hand-me-down, as she continues to step through the grades and a black-type assignment now waits.
Norwegian Bliss trialled in September 2020 for Daniel Robinson and was moved to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace before arriving at Doyle’s stable and was a late-bloomer after a few issues.
Ridden by James McDonald, the Gerry Harvey-owned mare got further back than anticipated but came with a sustained run to wear down her rivals in a BenchMark 78 handicap over 1300m.
“I’d like to thank Luke McDonald and Gerry Harvey for supporting us. They just let us take her through the grades and place her right,” Doyle said.
“I sat and watched the race with Luke and after they went 200m I said ‘we’re in trouble, they’re not making ground today and she’d want to be good to pick them up with a big weight on this surface’.
“She had them covered at the corner. There is plenty left to come with her and I think she will be best third-up and she needs to take that next step in the Dark Jewel now.”
The Gr.3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) for fillies and mares is one of five stakes races at Scone at their standalone Saturday meeting in a fortnight.
Norwegian Bliss has shown her versatility winning on all track conditions between 1100m and 1400m.
“She is just a racehorse,” Doyle said. “You can ride her anywhere. 1100m didn’t suit her and she still won and today they wanted to dig up inside her and James rode her back near last and she was still too good.
“There is plenty left to come with her and I am just lucky to have her.”
By Westbury Stud stallion El Roca, Norwegian Bliss is one of four winners from the Encosta de Lago mare Ballyalla.
